‘Clearly.’ Natalie voices what we’re probably all thinking, and laughter ripples round the table.
Ava sniffs pointedly. ‘By the time you’ve convinced Holly to marry you and put up with your grumpy ass for the rest of your miserable days, I’ll be approaching my tenth wedding anniversary with the man of my dreams, surrounded by our adorable, immaculately behaved children.’
‘Now there’s a fairy tale if ever I heard one,’ Nate scoffs, but there’s no animosity between them.
He scrapes the final drops of gravy from his plate. ‘WhenHolly and I get married,’ he pauses, shooting me a sidewards look that has my insides dissolving into a smouldering pile of lust-filled mush on his parents tiled floor, ‘if you even have a boyfriend, I’ll invest a million euros into your dating business and help you take it to the next level.’
Ava’s fork slips from her fingers, clattering to her plate with a piercing chinking sound. ‘You will?’
Nate nods solemnly, licking the last few drops from his cutlery in a gesture that makes my stomach flip and my tongue salivate.
‘Shake on it,’ Ava demands, sticking a long slender hand across the table. ‘And don’t leave it too long before you get down on those wobbly knees. You’re not getting any younger.’
ChapterThirty-Three
HOLLY
22nd December
‘Are you sure you don’t want me to come into the city with you today?’ Nate’s eyes rove over my outfit like he’s already thinking about peeling it off.
‘I need to do some Christmas shopping. If you don’t want me to be gone all day, help a girl out and give me a clue what you’d like under the tree on Christmas morning.’ Resting a palm on the mattress for support, I lean across the bed and plant a chaste kiss on Nate’s mouth. Anything more would only lead to me crawling back under the covers with him, and apart from buying his present, I want to get something for my parents, and Penny and Frank too.
‘The only thing I want to unwrap is you.’ He catches my wrist and pulls me back down for another kiss.
‘Nate.’ The warning’s clear in my tone.
‘Spoilsport.’ He releases his grip on me with a reluctant sigh.
‘What are your plans for the day?’ I grab my phone and purse from the nightstand and smooth my jumper back into place.
‘I’m going nowhere. Mam, Dad, Ava and Natalie are going to visit Dad’s brother. I’m going to enjoy the peace while they’re gone. Faith is coming tonight with the kids. Things are about to get crazy. And loud. You should probably abandon your plans and stay here with me.’ He pats the bed beside him with an inviting glint in those huge come-to-bed eyes. ‘We could shop together online.’
‘I’ll be as quick as I can. We’ll squeeze in some quiet time this afternoon before everyone arrives home.’ I blow him a kiss and creep down the stairs. The house is quiet.
Tootsie is snoring in the kitchen. I let her out in Nate’s parents’ back garden and top her bowl up with two scoops of dry food.
Slipping out the front door as quietly as I can, I walk down the garden path, glancing back at the house over my shoulder. A small smile twitches on my lips. I love this place. I love this family. But most of all, I love Nate Jackson.
As I exit the cul-de-sac and turn onto the main road, a black car slows to a crawl alongside me. The driver and the passenger, two men in their forties, stare at me like they’re trying to place me before indicating into the street I’ve just come from.
That damn video.
It might have been erased from social media, but it obviously hasn’t been erased from people’s minds yet.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, distracting me from dwelling on it.
It’s Savannah.
‘Hi.’
‘Hi, girl, how’s it going with Mr Hollywood? Please tell me you’re not impaled on his dick this very second.’ Savannah’s voice is giddy for details.
‘Unfortunately, I’m not. I’m just heading into town to pick up a few presents. Are you around?’
‘Does Santa Claus come on Christmas Eve? Yes, I’m around! My dads have the twins and I need a Christmas drink,’ Savannah insists.
‘Everything okay?’ I check.
